Letter from Lois

Vote for the slutty saboteur! Corpse Flower Lois pushes winning little sisternames

Little sis in action

Let me start by saying, "Thank you," to all of my fans who submitted more than 1,500 potential names for my baby sibling. The breadth of the results was staggering. There were a few beautiful monikers, such as Ava, Steven and Xochiquetzal, as well as a fair share of duds (Butterfly McStink, Ivanna Stinks-a-lot, Worth the Wait).

I submitted my favs, and after my staff at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences weighed in, we conjured a handful of the best submissions for the public to vote upon.

Now, I've consulted with my astrologist and in-house team of tastemakers to construct this pros-and-cons diagram for each candidate:

Audrey

Pro: It's a pretty name, and pays tribute to my on-again-off-again frenemy.
Con: Last summer's theatrics are over. Let's move on.

Clark

Pro: My fans seem to like it . . . not me though.
Con: As I already explained in my first column, pairing "Lois and Clark" is incredibly trite. We're an original family — delicate flowers, not a superhero couple. Please.

Delilah

Pro: Historic relation to a biblical character — a beautiful temptress who has inspired myriad European masterworks.
Con: Reputation as a slut with a keen eye for sabotage. Sounds like the typical little sister to me.

Hermann

Pro: It's a tribute to Hermann Park and its own namesake, George H. Hermann. I love a quality homage, and the extra "n" looks fancy. And you know I love fancy.
Con: I can't stop thinking of Pee Wee Herman. And now you probably can't either. Sorry.

Violet

Pro: Simple and plainly refers to our distinctive hue (we're violet, not purple, for the record). Plus, when she blooms, we can make plenty of "You're turning violet, Violet!" jokes.
Con: Violet was the consistently snobby character in Peanuts. Actually, I like that. Pro!

Now's your chance to put in your two cents. Click here to vote on Facebook, and then you can vote a second time via Twitter by tweeting with the tag #corpseflowerAudrey, #corpseflowerCLARK, #corpseflowerDelilah, #corpseflowerHermann or #corpseflowerViolet. And in case you'd like a third avenue to cast a ballot, take the unofficial, but highly influential poll on CultureMap.

The community-selected name will be announced Monday.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”

Letter from Lois

Vote for the slutty saboteur! Corpse Flower Lois pushes winning little sisternames

Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

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